In the Silver Woods
by Imogene19
Summary: Amy Watson is on the run. From monsters, and from a manufactured Hell on Earth she barely survived. She has secrets, and tries to hide away in an abandoned mansion. Little does she know that she has run straight into the arms, er, fangs, of her worst nightmare. Or is it the other way around? AlucardXOC Lots of new characters with weird pasts. Rating may change - violence and topics
1. Deep, Dark, and Beige

Chapter 1

Deep, Dark, and Beige

* * *

In the basement of an old English manor house, deep below the surface, a great evil stirred. Crimson eyes snapped open, glaring at the underside of the coffin lid with a malicious excitement. Only one thought prevailed above the sudden, all-consuming drive to hunt.

_She is near..._

* * *

Amy Watson knew, without a doubt, that she was insane. Totally nuts, completely wacked. Not only did she steal a bunch of files from the Administrator's own office, but she also planned and executed a mass breakout from a maximum security prison, ran a sword through her uncle, and stole a car all before lunch while wearing high heels.

_When all this is over, I'm going to need to be medicated_.

While the escape of her fellow inmates had the Administrator and his henchies busy, she knew she was not forgotten. They would come for her sooner or later. Preferably later, but luck had not been on her side for a long time now.

After driving for a few hours in the rain, darkness was falling. Amy knew she had to find shelter, fast. While she herself enjoyed a more nocturnal lifestyle, driving a stolen car around at 3 a.m. was sure to draw attention. The wrong kind of attention, from the wrong kind of people.

Peering through the rain, Amy noticed a rusty gate overgrown with ivy. From what she could tell, it lead to a large building also covered in plant life. She got out of the car, and as the padlock crumbled when tested, pushed open the twin gates.

Re-entering the car and driving down the crumbling pavement, Amy felt something...shift.

_There's something off about this place..._

"Well," she muttered to herself. "What's the worst it could be?"

Okay, maybe that _wasn't_ the best way to phrase that. How about 'can I reasonably believe that whatever is freaky about this place isn't worse than what I just came from?' She sighed, too weary to care much anymore.

Cold, exhausted, and soaking wet, Amy hurried up the stone steps, hiking her canvas backpack higher on her shoulders.

After pulling open one of the twin solid oak doors, Amy was meet with a surprise. The doors led to a grand entryway with doors and hallways all along the walls, and parallel staircases on either side, one leading up, the other down. She had assumed that everything would be rotted and vermin-infested. But nothing inside the house was touched by time. Though it was sparse, and clear that no-one had lived here for ages, nothing was out of place. Not even light water damage had affected the place, only a smattering of corner cobwebs.

"...cobwebs..." she whispered to herself, wheels turning in her mind. Then, suddenly, she paused, a disturbing realization dawning.

_...there are no spiders..._

"There's nothing here. No spiders, mice, or ...birds. I didn't notice before, because of the rain..." she trailed off, horrified at the implications. She knew now why this place felt so wrong. There was no life. Nothing. Nada.

Amy reached out with her senses, trying to feel and life-forces in the house. Empty. The woods? ...Maybe. She wasn't quite sure what she felt out there, but there definitely was something. Another...'off' thing.

_Well, whatever it is, I'll decline any tea party invitations._

A feeling of dread settled over her as Amy realized that her best bet was the staircase that led to the basement levels. While the upper levels gave her more escape routes, and the basement could easily trap her, she knew she was too tired to do much more running. If the bastards could find her here, well, then she figured she didn't stand much of a chance.

"Besides," she reasoned, "didn't rich people tend to have a lot of skeletons in closets? maybe there'll be places to hide or things I could use down there. Or maybe," she paused, whispering now. "there are actual skeletons."

Before beginning her journey, Amy pulled a candle out of her backpack and a blue Bic lighter out of her pocket. She could see well enough on the ground floor because the waning light filtered through the rain into the windows. But the basement had no windows she could see from the outside, and she didn't want to turn on any lights just yet, in case someone noticed. It was highly improbable, though, as the house was surrounded by woods and far from the road, but then again, so was she. Highly improbable, that is.

Candle in hand, Amy began her descent. Once again, the place was sparse. The walls were beige and unadorned, and the doors were all identical. Another thing she noticed was how uniform everything was. All the doors were exactly the same distance apart, and alternating. She'd come up alongside one door, then down the hall, exactly halfway between the first door and the next, was another door on the other side. Peering inside one, she saw a small, utilitarian bedroom.

_Are these...soldiers' barracks?_

Amy seriously considered just spending the night in one, but something stopped her.  
It'd be too easy. I'd be too easy to find, should anyone come upon this place. With that in mind, Amy continued venturing farther down the hall.

Much of it was the same. Some of the rooms were more scant bedrooms, others were locked. After a few left turns and a dead end, Amy came across another set of stairs. These were more narrow and steep than the previous ones, yet not less elegant in their simplicity. Peering into the yawning abyss, all she could see was darkness. Walking down, carefully minding her step, Amy realized through the inadequate candle light that the stairs turned sharply. After countless 90 degree turns and landings leading to other floors she had no interest in, Amy did the math.

_If my calculations are correct, or even close, then I must be at least three stories down!_

Which was surprising, as the distinctly rectangular house looked to be a mere two stories high. There must be something worth hiding down this deep...or, was, at any rate. She made it down one more flight, and as her feet touched the cool concrete, an icy breeze blew out her candle. Chilled by the sudden inexplicable wind, Amy fumbled for her lighter.

_Dammit!_

Her wet, numb fingers slipped, and she dropped it. Starting to panic a little, Amy quickly dropped to her knees, feeling around on the cold floor for her only source of light. She ended up crawling farther than she knew, and grasping the lighter triumphantly, smashed her head into the underside of a table.

_What in the-_

Clutching her pounding skull, Amy crawled out from under the low table and stood up.

She flicked the lighter, illuminating the room in a warm, flickering light and casting ominous shadows in the still-dark recesses. What she saw made her gasp, and her fingers slipped again, plunging the room into darkness once more.

A great imposing throne, a sleek black coffin on the floor, a low mahogany table with a glass wine bottle and goblet on it, and there...in the corner...a pair of bright blood-red eyes. Disturbing eyes. HUNGRY eyes.

* * *

**Author's Not****e:** Hey everyone. Sorry I never had a note on the original, and y'all got notice that I updated when I only made minor format changes and added a note. =/ Sorry!

At least I DID add a second chapter.

I'll try to update _at least_ once a week. Maybe more.

Don't worry so much, it'll pick up in a bit.

Alucard and Amy still haven't told me _exactly_ where they wanna go with this.

They're so vague. *shakes head indulgently*

Amy's past WILL be revealed, but only in bits and pieces. She doesn't like to just talk about it, and I don't blame her.

I still haven't figured out the _exact_ timeline, or even Amy's age, but both ARE kinda important.


	2. Board Games, Anybody?

Chapter 2

Board Games, Anybody?

Heart racing, Amy's mind whirled.

_SWEETJESUSWHATWASTHATohgodoh godohgod...I'MGONNADIEohmygodSHITohmygodo hmygod killmenow. it's gonna EAT me..._

Suddenly, candles flared, making her blink at the sudden brightness. She looked around frantically, but the set of eyes she saw was nowhere in sight. After assimilating that the threat was gone, for the time being, she took a moment to absorb her surroundings.

The long, gleaming, mahogany coffee table was actually up to her waist, not as low to the ground as she first thought. On it was now a five-spired candelabra with dark red candles in it, and two empty goblets. She walked to the table cautiously, still feeling the effects of her adrenaline rush, and lifted the goblet closest to her.  
_It's...heavy. Are those...encrusted stones real rubies and emeralds? What language is this engraving in? Is this made of real gold?_  
Setting it down, she moved to investigate the dusty wine bottle. Grasping it's neck, she swirled it's half-full contents. She sniffed at the end, and jerked back at the distinctive and familiar smell.

_…..blood? What...is this place?_

Replacing the bottle gently but quickly, Amy turned her attention to the rest of the room. Nothing else had changed from when she first saw it, but that alone couldn't assuage her curiosity. She padded quietly over to the throne, and ran her hand over the smooth wood of the arm rest. It was high-backed in the extreme, and relatively simple, with no extravagant carvings or designs. After a thoughtful pause, she moved on, not so much losing interest as needing to see everything, touch everything.

She backed away, still thoughtful, and turned to face the remaining open space. the only thing left that she hadn't yet explored that wasn't pure shadow was the black coffin. It seemed to call to her, to beckon her forward. She hesitated at first, but then gave in.

Making her way over to the mysterious box, Amy felt enthralled by it but still some preservation instinct kept her from rushing over and running her hands all over it. She stopped just shy of knocking her shins into it, and stooped down. It was then that she noticed there were words scrawled across the lid.

_The Bird of Hermes is My Name_

_Eating My Wings to Make Me Tame_

Unsure of what to make of it all, Amy started to stand when she heard a low voice behind her.

"What do you make of my coffin, girl?"

Amy whirled around to face him, when suddenly a strong hand wrapped around her throat, lifting her off the ground. She stared into those same red eyes, but this time, they were set into a pale, thin-lipped face framed by inky black hair. He was wearing a long red overcoat and white gloves. His gloves had some inscription on them, but she couldn't read it without crossing her eyes.

"Well? Do you speak?"

He eyes were boring into hers, burning crimson into forest green, as if he could pull the answer from her mind. _From the looks of him, he probably can_, she reasoned. His grip tightened and he lightly shook her, frustrated at her silence.

"Can't...breathe..."

The man looked surprised and let her down. Amy's knees gave out and she gasped for breath.  
He stared down at her while she panted on the floor. After a moment, her system realized there was air, and she calmed. Amy turned her face up, hand on her throat, from her fetal position to gaze up at the imposing figure before her. He wore a long red trench coat and a dark suit underneath, and was loosely holding a pair of orange-lensed goggles in his left hand. He was long legged, almost lanky, but had clearly filled out with muscle. He wasn't huge to match his height, but was obviously powerful. His heavy boots were perilously close to her head, and she got the vague feeling that he would have no trouble crushing her skull with them. No trouble at all.

He crouched down to stare into her eyes and cocked his head to the side. "So, tell me. Who are you? What are you doing here, in my Master's house?"

_His 'Master?' What? What is this freak talking about?_

She gazed at him a moment before replying, trying to make up a story fast. "Oh, you know. Just...uhh...hiding. Yeah, hiding. Like a game of hide-and-go-seek, with some friends." She was babbling now. _Oh, please don't let him sense that I was lying about having friends!_

"A game, hunh?" He leaned back on his haunches, contemplative. "You like to play games, do you?" he asked, suddenly swinging back forward, his face and inch from hers.

"I happen to like games very much. Which one's your favorite?" he hissed, grinning maniacally.

With her deer-in-the-headlights expression still on her face, she was going to reply snarkily with 'Monopoly,' when they were interrupted by a heavy crash from upstairs. He stood, faster than she expected, and gazed up at the ceiling.

"Stay here," he ordered, barely glancing her way, as he began to float upwards through to the next floor, presumably to investigate. Still on the floor, Amy watched, mouth agape, his tailcoats disappear.

_Well, screw this!_ She thought, all exhaustion forgotten. _I never back down from a fight!_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Helloo! I know it's really slow-moving, but it's getting there. I know Amy doesn't have much of a personality at the moment, and I'll get to that next chapter. Hopefully. Please bear with me.

I do want to hear what you have to say, so please review! I don't care if you flame or not. It's a learning experience. (Though if you're going to hate, please be SOMEWHAT intellectual about it. I can't stand the "It's stupid. ur stupid." If you do this, I will have no choice but instigate counter-attack maneuvers.)

If any of the characters seem TOO off, just tell me. Sometimes I need to get back to reality. =) Some of them, though, I want you to realize HAVE changed. This is just my portrayal of how I think they would have developed and dealt with the things that have happened.

I have yet to count up _exactly_ how many years it has been since the death of the Iron Maiden. But it's been awhile. The world is different now.

Sorry for not explaining the last chapter at all, and Author's Note just escaped my mind.


	3. His True Colors are Black and Red

Chapter 3

His True Colors are Black and Red

Amy streaked up the stairs as fast as her legs could manage, and in a few short seconds she was on the ground floor again. She stopped and listened, and determined that the conflict was at least another floor up, and that the creature was soon to become involved. She ran up the ascending stairwell, once again using her preternatural speed. Amy followed the noise down a hall and paused outside the room it was emanating from.

She peered around the corner and watched curiously to see what this crimson-clad creep would do to the intruders. Counted a total of seven men in all black rifling through a desk and some file cabinets. They didn't notice the curling black shadows in the corner forming into the shape of a man. Amy watched, wide-eyed and rapt, as the strange being demonstrated his true strength.

_Shadows coagulated into the tall man from the basement. Surrounded by his writhing shadows, she couldn't help but notice how pale his smooth skin was against the inky blackness. She couldn't help but notice how bright his eyes were with the thrill of the hunt, the blinding, unadulterated ecstasy that came only from shredding foe after foe in battle. The grin on his face was joyous and glorying, completely insane, of course, but that didn't make it any less beautiful to Amy. _

_She watched as he pulled out two guns, one charcoal black, one dull silver, and dispatched the intruders one by one, laughing with each pull of the trigger. Laughing with each explosive contact, with each dead-weight thunk on the now-bloodied carpet. As the last man screaming tried to run, he caught him in his tendrils of darkness and pulled him close. _

_The monster's eyes bored into mine as he whispered close to the man's ear "No one defile's my Master's house," and sunk his fangs into his neck. The shadows turned into more of his arms, and held the squirming man still, while the beast continued to watch me watch him devour not only the life blood but the very soul of the man in his grasp. He dropped the remaining husk, and it was enveloped and absorbed by shadows. He then slowly but determinedly approached me, grasped my chin in his hand and pulled my face close to his. "No one defiles my Master's house," he softly whispered, his cool breath fanning over my face. He let me go, kept I kept falling forward. He caught me in his arms, and pulled, hefting me up into his arms. He held me close to his chest as he phased through the floor again, back down to the basement. _

After that, all Amy remembered was a warm bed and long arms pulling cotton sheets and blankets around her, and a pair of red eyes gazing down at her almost...tenderly.

* * *

Amy awoke languorously, stretching and yawning, still unaware of her surroundings. As memories of the previous night began filtering back into her consciousness, she sat bolt upright and quickly scanned the room. She was in a small room, similar to the barrack rooms in size, and it was well furnished. All of the furniture was elegant and had an Old World feel to it. The iron-wrought candelabra on the thick oak dresser had only three of it's seven candles lit, and she could make out her reflection in the vanity mirror through the flickering light.

She pulled off the covers and set her feet on the floor, and looking down she realized she was wearing a floaty nightdress instead of her clothes from before. She padded barefoot over to the dresser to rummage for clothes.

The first drawer held...black lingerie? _What the hell? Just who IS this creep?_ Amy slammed the drawer shut and hoped for better luck in the other ones.

The second drawer, thankfully, held some soft cotton pants and a few faded denim jeans. _ I can work with this. I just hope he doesn't expect me to wear that crap in front of him._

In the third drawer she found some elegant tops. There weren't any simple T-shirts like she'd hoped, and everything was feminine, silky, and elaborate. She pulled out a simpler midnight blue one with a cinched waist and flowing sleeves. That plus a pair of the black cotton slacks not only showed off her figure but brought out her eyes. Surprisingly, the clothes fit her well, as if tailor-made for her, rather than just extras or hand-me-downs someone had lying around.

Instead of rummaging through the remaining two drawers, she quickly combed her hair through her fingers in the mirror and padded outside. Her room led out into the basement, from a door off to the side that must've been hidden in shadows the first time she ventured down here, she figured.

Checking her wristwatch, Amy realized with a start that it was nearly 6 o'clock at night.

_I slept for fourteen hours?!_

"Yes, you did," a deep voice drawled from the shadows around the throne. They came together into the now-familiar man. He was lounging, with one leg hanging off an armrest, one of the goblets held carelessly in one hand, and his glasses halfway down his the bridge of his nose. He gazed at her lazily over them, and she was so distracted that she almost missed what he said next.

"...exhausted. What could a being such as yourself possibly be running from that entering my lair seemed like a good idea?" His sneering words and pompous attitude felt like a challenge, and Amy had never been known for having much common sense when it came to her own skin.

"Okay, you know what, BUSTER?!" she started, advancing on him, accusing finger aimed at his chest. "I don't know WHAT you are, or WHERE you came from, but I have had enough! You had absolutely NO right t-"

Her tirade was cut short when he suddenly lunged forward and slammed her to the ground, pinning her with his weight. His suddenly furious face and glinting fangs were mere inches from her's.

"I have EVERY right," he growled. "YOU entered MY domain, MY territory. I have every right to kill you whenever and however I please. Not only that," he sneered as his eyes roved suggestively down her body, "but you have clearly taken advantage of my ...generosity. You not only are_ indebted_ to me, but now you also _belong_ to me. I OWN you, Amelia Aria Watson."

He leaned in close to her ear, his lips lightly touching her, making her skin tingle. His hair brushed her face and he whispered,_ "You are mine."_

And with that, he dissolved once more into shadows and was gone, leaving a shell-shocked Amy lying on the cool concrete alone in the darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone. Yeah, I've been posting pretty steadily, and that's because I haven't been able to get this out of my head, and have been doing nothing else. =)

I already have some of Chapter 4, and so far, it's from Alucard's point of view. Some of it doesn't quite sound like him, and I've got to go back over it before continuing to make sure it's within reasonable bounds of Alu-behavior and not affected by outside influences. O.o

Amy's past WILL be revealed (a little bit) in Chapter 4, as Alucard has been doing some snooping in her dreams.

No, I don't think she's a relative to the Hellsing line. =/

As you've seen so far, she doesn't dwell on the past without help. I'll get it out of her, eventually. =D

Alucard may still be a little conflicted about some stuff with her, but he has staked (Hah! Dracula pun!) his claim, and no one takes that which is his!

Ah, they'll figure it all out. Their relationship'll be pretty rocky, but I'm sure they'll have their happy ending. Okay, THEY will, but not the slew of other people who try to get in the way!


	4. A New Companion or a Fresh Meal?

Chapter 4

A New Companion or a Fresh Meal?

Alucard's Thoughts on Amy

The arrival of the girl left Alucard perplexed. He hadn't interacted with another sentient being since the fall of Hellsing. She intrigued him and left him wanting more. he couldn't get her out of his head. His whirling thoughts had kept him up all day, tossing and turning his coffin.

He was fascinated by the way her dishwater-blonde hair flowed down over his wrist as he held her throat. The way her pale face paled further as she landed on the floor before him. The sweet melody that was her desperate gasps for the life-giving air she had previously been denied.

And her eyes...he couldn't get over her haunting green eyes. The way they had sparked with indignant fire at his mere words. The way they had filled with passion, with excitement, with the glorious ecstasy that came only from the Hunt as she watched him devour the humans.

Her face was so expressive, every twitch, every nuance added a curious depth to simple emotions he had rarely given notice to before.

Her strange mind kept him on his toes with it's contradictory ideas and hidden secrets. Soon he would know all of them.

While there was still much to discover, it was her blood that confused him the most. It was intoxicating and smelled so sweet, but still like nothing he had ever encountered before. it called to him, and spoke of blood-soaked battles, a foggy full moon hunt, the wind whipping through the hills, a passionate romance in silken sheets, and the feeling of coming home. Coming home to a hot meal, a loving wife, and happy children.

It wasn't until blood tears began running down his face that he realized his reminiscing had reached pining for a life he didn't have even when he was alive.

He turned his attention to the girl. 'Amelia' he read from her mind. He had created the room she now slept in for his true bride. For his rightful Queen of the Night. Every piece of furniture he had hand carved, and everything he hadn't made he had either taken from his Romanian castle or morphed from shadow. He had commissioned beautiful clothes and jewelry that he had a feeling would look lovely. Some of the jewelry he had spent hours making himself, and some of the gems had come from his family's treasury.

From the smell of her, the calling he felt that he had never felt before, he knew it was her. It could be no other. It did not matter to him what kind of woman she was, or what she liked or enjoyed. She would have everything and he would provide it. She would never want for anything so long as he walked this Earth. All she ever needed to do was sate his hungers, and provide him with heirs.

It did not matter if she loved him. He knew she never could... Due to their fated bond, she could not resist, nor would she want to. But on matters of the heart...

_Who could ever love a monster like me? I'm surprised she isn't terrified, or run screaming from this place already._

He pushed such thoughts from his mind, they did him no good.

It was then that he sensed Amelia's distress. He phased into her room and watched her thrashing about in her bed. She was having a nightmare. After watching for a moment or two, Alucard decided it was time to see what it was that this foolish creature truly feared. Entering her mind, Alucard was thrown into the chaos of her subconscious.

* * *

_That fluorescent light is still flickering. It's SO annoying. Why the hell don't they fix it? These guys are so proud of their technology but they can't change a lightbulb? What boobs. I got up from my cot and climbed up to check on Kimnara. She was still unconscious. Damn, whatever they put in her must've been heavy to knock HER out. She's a freaking LIONESS for crying out loud._

_Due to the weird lighting and the lack of sun exposure, Kimmie's once rich, loam-coloured skin looked pale and almost a sickly green. They couldn't kill her, completely, as the Spirit and Song of Africa could never truly die, but they could always hurt her. And they did. I could hear her screams and keening wails as they 'ran tests' from all the way down here. I brought my hand up to gently stroke her face. Ah, at least she was starting to warm up again. When they first brought her back, her usually hot skin was ice cold._

_Kimmie and I had become good friends these past few months, which is an effect close quarters for extended periods of time can have on two people. We never would have met had we not both been captured. I was at home in Europe, and the warmest I could stand was an Italian summer. Kimmie, on the other hand, roamed the serengeti plains of the Dark Continent, and couldn't imagine what cold weather felt like, or what snow was._

_I, on the other hand, hailed from a poverty-stricken European country. I'm not quite sure which one, as I did much traveling in my youth and we didn't have the best maps back then. Or any maps, for that matter, as no one could read. My family and I were outcasts, shunned by a far-too-suspicious people. While yes, we were different, and no we weren't witches, we also weren't human, either. So, we traveled. In caravans, on mule-back, on horse-back, on foot. We never stayed anywhere very long, but that didn't stop me from learning everything I could about it. _

_I told Kimmie most of my story, and she told me most of hers. I'm only assuming it was most, as it was quite extensive and nobody tells anybody ALL the details. I know I left out some little things, and some important ones, too._

_She was hunting men she believed to be simple poachers, after watching them slay a small family group of elephants and harvest only the ivory tusks. The little one was only a few months old, she said. He was sweet, and had played in the river with her before. She had been in the trees, and as she pounced was hit from the side by a heavy net. While that alone would barely slow her down, a tall man in a hat that kept his face in shadow shot her with a dart filled with a strange poison. She ripped through the net easily, and the venom worked fast but not fast enough. She took down one with her claws and another with her fangs before the strange one shot more darts. She went down, and didn't wake up for two weeks._

_I loved my Kimmie, and though we were from different worlds and had fought different battles, our bond was sweet and unbreakable. _

_I didn't know exactly what they had done to her, but I knew why. It was for me. They knew that as a team, Kimmie and I were unstoppable, and that should they come for me, she would put up a fight. If that happened, if she fought as half as hard as I would for her, they would have to silence her. Permanently. Though I knew she was immortal, these people had other advancements that made me wary. How they not only captured powerful beings such as us in the first place, but how they kept us here, trapped. They seemed to know weaknesses we never knew we had, and extorted them at every opportunity._

_Footsteps, down the hall, to the left. I could hear not only the squeaking boots but also the quiet stirs, shifting, and sighs of relief of each cage they passed. I knew, I just knew, that they were coming for me._

_My body shuddered as it remembered what the sound of those boots meant. It remembered every surgical cut, every slash, every snapped and pulverized bone, every organ removed just to watch it slowly, painstakingly grow back. I closed my eyes and stilled when I heard the rattling chains on the door to our cell. I heard the muffled 'fwit' or the dart gun, felt the sharp sting and the awful poison spread through my veins, and fell into oblivion._

* * *

Alucard jerked back, surprised. _This is...her memory?_

It seems his Amelia dreamed no fantasies, dark or light, only re-lived her own tortured past. _Sound familiar?_ he thought to himself, sarcastically.

There were true horrors in her past, as there were in his, and he quickly took control of her mind and sent her into a deep, dreamless sleep. He could not thwart these demons that plagued, not yet, but he could at least ease her, for now.

_Spirit and Song of Africa? A lioness? I wonder about this mystical creature she befriended during her captivity. I have heard rumors, of course, but nothing so concrete. Hmmm..._

He sighed, and turned away, heading towards his coffin. It was nearing noon, and he wanted to rest before contemplating this new development and seeing Amelia later in the evening when would awaken. He had one conscious thought before he, too, slipped into a dreamless oblivion.

_A true bride..._

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is set before Amy wakes up in the basement, sorry for any confusion! I'll be updating Amy's POV to include the remainder of what happens later that second night. Also, sorry for no mention of her nightmare. As Alucard had intervened, she didn't remember having one, and, being distracting by the goings on around her, she didn't think of it.

I know, it's confusing. I'm a little confused.

Yup, Kimnara is from Africa. She's pretty cool, and will reappear later.

I know I didn't include the story of Amy's capture, but she was really concerned for her friend.

Alucard is very conflicted, yes, and he'll prove to be difficult to live with.

Old World kings don't always mesh well with independent modern women. =)

I know, I know, WHERE'S SERAS?

We will get to her. She has a reasonable reason as to why she's not there. As Alucard hasn't seen hide nor tail of her for a number of years, she's not exactly in the forefront of his mind right now.

Yeah, the past tends to be revealed through dreamscape and mind-reading, but secret-sharing will come eventually.

It'll be primarily from Amy's POV, with only occasional deviations. Yes, they are kinda necessary. I wanna show the other side, and have a kind of explanation for behavior. Just bear with me.


	5. While We're Here

Chapter 5

While We're Here

Amy's mind was spinning as she laid on her back atop the cool floor.

_What does this guy want from me? Ugh, screw it._

Amy scrambled to her feet and padded, still barefoot, upstairs to find him.

_Prick didn't even tell me his name!_

She wandered through the lower levels of the house, trying to find her mysterious 'benefactor.'

_Yeah, because he's SO generous._

Amy rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at an imaginary fiend.

Poking her head into the rooms along the way, she came across some intriguing things. Exploring them, though, would have to wait as she was on a mission.

Eventually she made her way back up to that office, and was shocked to see that all the blood from before had disappeared. There was not a single drop on the desk, all the bullet holes were gone from the walls, and there was not so much as a discoloration on the carpet.

As her target was not here, she left, heading down the hall to check out some of the other rooms.  
Amy found him on a balcony, shoulders slumped, leaning on the railing with the flaps of his coat and tendrils of hair billowing in the breeze. She paused in the doorway, taking all of him in, unconsciously memorizing his form.

"Hey," she said as she hopped up onto the railing beside him.

His eyes slid over to her and then back to the forest beyond.

"Evening, Amelia," he finally murmured.

"Sooo..." she started after an awkward silence. "Whatcha' doin'?" she asked, kicking her legs.

"Moon gazing," he nonchalantly replied.

Only a little disconcerted, Amy then asked "So, who exactly are you? What are you? What's going on?"

He chuckled in response, grinning out at the open sky. He looked down at her (even sitting on the railing she was still shorter than he) and laughed again before leaning back, settling his hips into the corner behind him and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," he admonished, smirking now. "Isn't ignorance bliss?"

Amy turned to him and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow and waited.

He sighed, and began to tell her a story.

* * *

"My Masters called me Alucard. My servitude was passed down in her family, father to son, mother to daughter. I, the great vampire Dracula, was a slave to the Hellsing house for over a hundred years, and it was glorious. My last Master, Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, was magnificent. She was the last of the Hellsing bloodline, and remained virginal until the end of her days. She was known as the 'Iron Maiden' for a reason. You've probably heard of her, or at least, her accomplishments. She was a queen among dogs at the Razing of London all those years ago. Integra became head of the Hellsing Organization at age fourteen, and by the time she was twenty-four she had been knighted by the Queen ofEngland, in charge of a righteous battalion whose mission was hunting vampires, and the sole minder of two unruly vampires.

"Ah, those were the days. We were quite the band of misfits back then. Integra, a young, inexperienced leader with an iron will, Walter, 'Angel of Death' but getting on in his years, I, an ancient and powerful vampire tethered and restricted to the commands of my human Master, and my young fledgling, refusing blood and hanging on my every word. Walter, my Master's beloved butler, the man who had been there for her her entire life, betrayed us. Not that day, no, but long before. It was in 1944 that he sided with the SS, all for the promise of eternal youth. It was only after I had defeated the Catholic paladin that he revealed his treachery.

"My sweet little evening walker fledgling, though, with her big blue eyes, was always loyal. She became a true nosferatu in that battle, finally succumbing and drinking the blood of a mercenary captain hired by our Master. She could be such a silly thing.

"Our time all together was short. Shorter than it should have been. After the original battle, I fought my own, attempting to kill off all of the millions of lives I had absorbed so that I might return home. It took me thirty years of endless warfare.

"Not long after Integra's inevitable death, my fledgling disappeared. I did not follow her. She was strong enough now, and I knew she and Integra had grown close the three decades I was gone. Should she ever decide to return, I would be glad of the company.

"The Penwood family inherited the agency and I, but they lacked the inborn power and authority of true Hellsings. They were intimidated and afraid of me, and of my power. So the Penwoods, in essence, fired me. They hired servants to care for the property, but I scared them off. it was far too easy. All the bills for the place are paid, and once a week a delivery boy puts two cases of blood in the refrigerator while I sleep. Other than that, I am left alone unless the Penwoods have a particularly elusive target.

"I have no family, no home. I am absolute ruler of all that I see, but it is if I am blind. A ruler with no subjects. I am the No-Life King."

He turned away from her then, demeanor harsh and cold. Amy's mind was buzzing and attempting to make quantum leaps.

_The No-Life King...Wasn't there some old legend? I seem to recall something Papa said...or was it a story my brothers told me...?_

Lost in thought, Amy was startle when he started speaking again.

"The problem is that...you cannot be mine. I recognized the call of your blood to mine immediately. You are my true bride. There will never be another, for either of us. For that, I ...apologize. One such as you, Amelia, so vibrant and free, should not be tied down to a monster steeped in blood and violence."

Unexpectedly, his demeanor changed from mourning to ferocious, and he whirled and advanced on her.

"But know this: You. Are. Mine. I am a selfish creature, I confess, and I will take what is mine. Should you despise me, resent me, it will not change things. You will obey me as all good wives do, and never leave. I will burn Heaven and Earth to hunt you down and everything you love will burn with it. You will not escape me."

Amy waited almost impatiently for his little proclamation to be finished, and then jumped in.

"You like to think you're the biggest fish in the sea, dontcha? I have power in my own right, and age and experience is on my side. I always knew I'd be tied to a mate I had no choice in choosing. I've come to accept that.

But there is no way in hell that I'm just going to let you walk all over me. Be a King! Fine! I'm okay with that, in fact, I _love_ that. I myself am a Queen! But just because you are a king does not mean that you can treat me this way. _Threatening_ me?"

Amy's eyes flashed dangerously, and she spoke slowly and with deadly precision.

"I am your true bride. As there will never be another, why would you ever risk alienating me? Me, the one person who could ever understand you, the one person destined to stand by your side and love you for all your faults. _And you would ruin all of that just to be top dog?"_

Amy had had enough of him.

_"You're pathetic," _she spat, hopping off the railing and down into the moonlit grounds below.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey! I've noticed I've been getting a lot of views and favorites and the like, and I appreciate the love! I know it's getting a little off, but Alucard has been pretty lonely these past centuries. I've been noticing that there are some basic mechanical errors in my chapters...please tell me if you notice something I missed! I tend to have trouble reviewing my own work...but I have no troubles with anyone else's! Hahaaa...=D

Any comments or suggestions are highly encouraged.

Seras is coming, give her some space. She's been through a lot.

I've been posting like crazy, and I'm trying to keep all my chapters of a similar length, but it's slowing down as I get writer's block and life intervenes. =P

I love that so many people are reading, but please please PLEASE review!

Even if all you can say is "Eh, not my thing" or "Wow, I really like it!" I wanna hear it!

I do! I'm lonely over here with my possessions! _All my objects!_


	6. Running Dream

Chapter 6

Running Dream

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Amy was running. The grass was cool and soft under her feet. It wasn't long before she had crossed the large expanse of uninterrupted lawn and was nearing the woods. In the moonlight, the grass was leached of color, the shadows pitch black, and the the leaves of the trees glittered silver, still dewy from the rain.

The moment she passed under the canopy of the first line of trees, Amy knew she was being hunted. Amy could feel more than one pair of eyes following her.

_Those wolf-like spirits from before...is it them? Are they hungry or just curious?_

While Amy was concerned about her pursuers, and their motives, thoughts of them were pushed aside in favor of the forest. The pure joy of bounding over tree roots, her light steps making no sound and lightly stirring the fallen leaves. The sweet dampness of her face and clothes as the leaves of low branches and underbrush caressing her as she blew past.

Her heart lifted and Amy felt like she was flying. She felt like dancing. She felt like singing.

_Mmm...better not. The wolves might eat me just to end the torment._

Though her people loved singing, and almost all had at least some talent for it, Amy had never been able to join in. Not that she didn't want to, or that they'd ever condemn her for her voice, but Amy had other callings. While she loved the midnight revelry that her people loved, she never sang.

Instead, Amy had always danced.

Feeling the cool breeze from her speed on her face and blowing her hair back behind her, Amy closed her eyes and was lost in an old memory.

* * *

"C'mon, Arie-girl, come dance with me," pestered her brother Matthias. He was the youngest of her older brothers, and the silliest. "You know you can't resist my charms!" he exclaimed, and struck a ridiculous pose, succeeding in making her giggle. She smiled and took his outstretched hand.

Matthias spun her around and dipped her low, laughing at her child-like joy. They whirled and twirled, and all of Amy's troubles were lost in the dance.

Amy loved all the different forms of dance, and while the waltz was rather simple for her, Matthias has two left feet. He stumbled and tripped and made her laugh so hard she cried. He stomped on her toes and his own, knocked over the moon-eyed couple dancing nearby, and was so flamboyantly swinging his arms that he smacked three different people in the face, not counting himself.

After a round of this, and some dirty looks from the other dancers, Amy felt much better. She had been upset about the war that was soon to come, and all the pain and devastation it would bring, but for now she was living in the moment, and breathing in the life and laughter around her.

"Thanks," she whispered after they stopped. "I needed that," she said with a small smile, and hugged him. Matthias wrapped his arms around his little sister and rested his chin on her head.

"Anytime, Arie-girl."

For the rest of the night, Amy danced. She danced with partners, who were mostly her brothers, and sometimes alone. Towards dawn, people started dispersing and heading home.

Amy slipped away to a small clearing and found a mossy log. Sitting there, watching the sun rise, Amy knew nothing would ever be the same again, but she did not despair.

_I am strong enough for this._

* * *

It wasn't until Amy opened her eyes that she realized the moisture on her face wasn't just from the rain-soaked leaves.

_Matthias...I'm so sorry...I miss you...so much..._

Her heart in her throat, Amy finally took stock of her surroundings. She had stopped in a soft little glen, and the moonlight filtered through the light dusting of branches high above her. The trunks of the tall trees were covered in moss and vines that gleamed a silvery-blue in the dappled light. The forest floor here was spongy, but not soaking wet, and Amy curled up in the shin-high plant life.

Sitting there with her feet tucked up under her, Amy gazed up at the thinner canopy and the pieces she could see of the moon. Thinking about her family, Amy couldn't help the silent tears that ran freely down her face.

Distracted, Amy didn't notice immediately that someone was rapidly approaching until it was too late.

Amy jumped up and was mentally planning her escape when she recognized the heavy panting breath of the stranger.

_Seras!_

* * *

**Author's Note:** We meet again! Sorry it's been longer than usual (as I have been posting everyday), but I've been suffering from a terrible case of writer's block. *sigh*

Things are getting crazy, and we STILL don't know what Amy is yet! Or how old she is, either. -.-

Amy: A woman never reveals her age!

Me: *sigh* You're so difficult. No wonder Alucard is attracted to you.

Amy: *beams*

Well, anyhoo...at least now we know Amy's not completely alone with just Alucard to keep her company. She could fend for herself pretty well before, but now with a team of crazy bitches behind, she's unstoppable. =D

I'm sure my updates will be fewer and farther between as time goes on...until the plot spikes again. Then I will not sleep for three days at a time as the compulsion to write is too strong!

I'm working to incorporate other characters from the manga (for example, the Nazis), and I have some interesting ideas.

Sorry about just throwing Seras at you guys like that, and having such a short chapter (my shortest yet). It just feels like Seras grilling Amy about why she smells like Alucard should be a seperate chapter altogether.

It seems this note is longer than the chapter itself...teehee.

Any and all suggestions or requests will be considered and appreciated, and if used, will be credited...

Thanks for all the views, everybody! Please review! I get more visitors and views than I do reviews!

(I only have, like, 11 reviews, and I'm lonely.) Also, please report any and all mechanical errors you find! I need to go back over them, some are embarrassing typos.

(As most of them are from Vampire From Hell...*sad eyes*...please? Pretty please? With black icing and black sprinkles and a little black bat on top?)


	7. Happy Reunions

Chapter 7

Happy Reunions

The buxom blonde burst through the underbrush, and her face lit up as she spied Amy standing across the clearing.

"Seras!"

"'Amy!" Seras squealed, and leaped at Amy.

Amy laughed, incredulous at the sudden appearance of one of her closest friends. After a few minutes of hysterical giggling, hugging, and jumping, both girls calmed down enough to have a conversation.

"Okay, okay," Amy wheezed, clutching her side with one hand and Seras' shoulder with the other. "Where have you been? I was worried they caught up to you!"

"I was coordinating with Robin, and trying to find Kimnara and anyone else we could round up," Seras explained. "We haven't caught up with Kimmie yet, but so far, three of the kids and the two gals from the cell across from ours are back at our camp."

"How did you find me?" Amy was bewildered, her mind racing to absorb all of this new information.

_What if Kimmie got caught again? No, knowing her, she's probably holed up somewhere. She's fine, I'm sure of it. But what on Earth am i going to do with three new little ones?_

"Well, I was out scouting for any threats or stragglers, and any food I could find. I heard your heartbeat and I knew it was you!" she squealed again and wrapped Amy in a tight hug, which she gladly returned.

"Where have you been staying? It's been days, why haven't you found us already?" she queried, crestfallen.

"Oh, sweetie, it's not like that! I was just really distracted by some goings-on, and catching up on some sleep," Amy said, trying to console the suddenly teary girl. "C'mere, sweetie," she beckoned, and pulled the young vampire into a warm embrace. Patting her back, Amy tried comforting Seras.

"It's okay, we're okay. Shhhh. We're safe now, and we're together. It's gonna be okay," she murmured to the sniffling younger woman.

After a second, Seras stiffened and pulled away, baffling and distressing Amy.

"...Seras? What's wrong?"

Seras looked at her suspiciously, then leaned in and deliberately sniffed at her collarbone and along her neck and shoulder.

"...Amy..." Seras said slowly. "Why do you smell like an Elder vampire?

_Oh shit. How do I put this, how do I put this?_

Amy stared wide-eyed at Seras, who was glaring back, tapping her foot. Waiting.

"Well, you see...It's a funny story, really..." Seras crossed her arms.

"Well...okay, so there's this guy." Seras' foot tapped faster.

"Uh-huh. I gathered that. Go on."

"Well...he's a vampire." Her eyes narrowed.

"I think we've established that, Amy. Get to the point."

Amy sighed, defeated.

"I was trying to get as far away from them as possible. After a couple hours of driving, I came across this cool old house. When I went in, hoping for a closed off space to curl up in and avoid the rain, I instead found myself locked in with a crazy vamp. He started spewing this 'true bride' crap and 'you belong to me' bullshit. He put me up in this really nice room, and told me a little about myself, but then I left after he forbade me to ever leave him,"

Amy grew more flustered towards the end, and a crease formed between her eyes that only happened when she was feeling put out. Seras noticed this, and smiled a little to herself.

"Well, alright. I believe you," After hearing this, Amy breathed a sigh of relief. "But what are you going to do about it? I mean, _I_ think it's romantic," Seras said with a little breathy sigh, and Amy groaned inwardly. "But I know you hate this kind of thing. Being tied down, having to talk about your feelings, having to be...nice!" she exclaimed with mock exasperation.

Seras felt she knew Amy pretty well. They had shared a cell with two others, Robin and Kimnara, for months. While she didn't know much about the other woman's past, she felt she had a good idea as to what kind of person Amy was.

Amy sighed, this time with exhausted frustration.

"Honestly, Seras, I don't know what I'm going to do. He's outrageous and difficult and powerful and handsome and mysterious and violent and...and...ugh!" Amy threw up her hands, breathing hard.

"Wow, he really got you going,' Seras giggled. "Well, for now, do you wanna head back to the camp with me? We can see what Robin has to say about all this, and who knows? Maybe Kimmie'll have shown up."

Amy was tired, and desperately wanted to visit with her friends and see for herself that they were all in one piece.

"Alright, lead the way!"

* * *

Sprinting through the forest, the two girls made quick time. Amy had to keep a slower than normal pace for Seras, who was by human standards incredibly fast, but was no match for Amy.

It was barely a couple minutes of running when they neared the camp. Seras slowed, and Amy followed suit.

"We better announce ourselves, or Robin might sh-ARGH!" Seras broke off as a lithe dark form plunged from the tree above her and landed on her shoulders.

Amy doubled over, laughing hysterically, as the dark little girl tugged on Seras' short hair like reins.

"Hyaah! Tonight, we ride!" exclaimed Robin atop her makeshift warhorse.

"Ugh, Rob_-in_!" Seras whined. "Not fair!"

Robin yanked on her hair again, making Seras squeak.

"C'mon, no hunt is ever fair! Now, mush!" Robin cried, and kicked her legs.

Tears running down her face, Amy's laughter had dissolved into a trembling wheeze. Reaching up, she lifted the small girl off of the shoulders of the much-abused vampire.

Robin squinted at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes and a sly smile spreading across her face.

"So," she said suspiciously. "Do I want to know why you smell like power, money, and death?"

Amy was at a loss for words under the tiny creature's scrutinizing glare. Thankfully, Seras chimed in.

"She just had a run in with a vaguely benevolent," Amy snorted and Seras ignored it. "Elder vampire. I haven't met him or anything, but apparently he's kind of...difficult."

_Pssh. That's an understatement._

Amy could tell that though Robin was still skeptical, she wasn't going to push the issue right now. Judging from Robin's face, though, Amy also knew that Robin wasn't going to forget anytime soon.

"Hmm. Well, in that case, I'll go ahead and tell the others that you're here," said Robin, before leaping up into the trees above them and disappearing into the shadowy branches.

Seras shivered, and Amy glanced at her quizzically.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she said defensively. "It's pretty freaky how she does that, okay? It's like she jumps through shadow. It isn't natural," she shivered again, hugging her arms as if she were cold.

Amy's incredulous brow and bemused smile was starting to make Seras uncomfortable.

"Aren't you supposed to be a creature of the night? Isn't that one of your big things? The shadow..." she gestured vaguely at Seras' left arm. "...stuff?"

Seras huffed, embarrassed at having to explain something that she realized now was silly.

"Well...think about it. I mean, if I am mostly shadow sometimes, then think of how weird it must be to have somebody _jump through_ that. It just ...Okay, I know it's silly, considering I'm a vampire and all, but the idea just gives me the creeps, alright?"

Amy tried not to snicker, but from Seras' glare, it seemed her attempt was in vain.

"Well," Seras huffed, still nursing her wounded pride. She stopped in front of some particularly dense foliage. "We're here."

She pulled away the thick blanket of vine revealing the little group surrounding the campfire.**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry my chapters have been so short and so long in coming.

I keep finding good places to end. =)

Thanks for all the views, reviews, and follows!

Now we get to meet the rest of the escapees!

Well, the nice ones anyways.

An Alucard POV is coming soon, too...I can feel it. -.-

Please please PLEASE tell me about any and all basic mechanical errors you find, as I don't read my own work nor do I employ a beta.


	8. New Friends, Old Wounds

Chapter 8

New Friends, Old Wounds

Looking into the small glen, Amy's mind automatically cataloged everything.

There were the three little girls huddled together under a ratty gray trader blanket. Amy could feel her heart warming at the sight of the trio.

Across the crackling fire was Robin, lounging on a small boulder and methodically shredding a dry brown leaf.

To Robin's right sat the remaining two women on a dry mossy log. They were both wearing battered hiking gear and the one closest to Robin was roasting meat of questionable origins.

Stepping in, everyone looked up except Robin, and the little ones had the most violent reaction to her sudden appearance.

"Aunty Amy!" squealed the triplets as they threw the blanket aside and tackled her.

"Hey guys," Amy laughed, wrapping her arms around them all. "How's kicks?"

"Still kickin'!" They replied in unison, giggling at the secret joke.

"You're back," whispered a highly accented voice, and Amy turned to see Sakura standing beside her. Sakura and her family were originally from Hiroshima, and she was the sole survivor of a bombing many years ago.

Her skin was pale and her hair was soft silver. Though she was decked out in ripped canvas and boots, Sakura still held the delicate grace and elegance of the tea ceremony. Beside her bag, leaning against the log was a similarly battered violin case, which Amy knew contained a beautiful antique instrument.

"Yeah," Amy replied just as softly, and held out her arms to the shy woman.

As she wrapped her arms around Sakura, Amy felt her smaller frame shudder and hot tears on her shoulder.

"Finally," she whispered in Amy's ear, too quietly for the others to hear. Sakura wasn't _exactly_ shy, but her voice never raised above a clear whisper.

The other woman who had been sitting by Sakura stood up.

_Maria._

Her dark curling hair was pulled back, but still fell over her shoulders and around her neck.

Her dramatic eyes flashed when they met Amy's, and Amy gulped.

Maria was from Spain, and was a good Catholic girl through and through, though much more tolerant than her fanatical counterparts. She was solid in her faith, though, and carried an elaborate silver cross on a heavy chain around her neck. Maria was all Spanish fire, and though she absolutely despised English, she spoke it anyway for convenience.

"So. You come back _now_? After days of no word you decide to grace us with your presence?" Maria's words were nothing but venomous. "We needed you, Amelia, the girls needed you, and you were. Not. There." At this, Maria turned on her heel and walked away. She snatched up her pack and was soon swallowed by the darkness.

Amy sighed.

_Why does she have to be so damn difficult?! She doesn't want to be in charge, so why is she always fighting me?_

Amy was positively steaming, at her wit's end, when she remembered.

Maria hadn't always been so angry and aloof. She had been a completely different person when she and Amy first crossed paths. Maria was again almost a stranger when they met again in the Women's Section of the Facility.**_  
_**

* * *

I jerked awake. _There, coming down the hall. Squeaky boots._

I felt myself shudder involuntarily, and, mentally, I tried to reason away my unfortunately-quite-reasonable fear.

It couldn't possibly be time for more...fun. They always gave us at least 12 hours to recuperate, it was Shadow Man's policy.

_No, they're not coming for me or mine. It's something else. Has to be._

_What's that? Soft, ragged breaths? Drawing nearer? That doesn't sound like any of the 'staff' here..._  
_ Yes, that's right, the boot-steps are heavier. He's carrying something No, some_one_. _

From the light, shallow sighs I discerned that this was a girl._ Poor thing. She must be unconscious._

I gasped. _That must be what the new cage is for! __******  
**_

Ours is up to max capacity, what with Seras, Kimmie, Robin, and I all sharing the two small beds. Well, Kimmie didn't share much. Only with Robin, when something happened. The rest of the time, it was those two all over me, kicking, snoring, and drooling all night. Many a night have I slept on the floor for fear of suffocation. Or because those hogs pushed me off.

Yesterday_ (I'm assuming it was yesterday, as I slept sometime between then and now)_ they dragged out the previous, now perished, occupant and spiffed it up a little.

By 'spiffing it up,' I mean that somebody tried to mop up the majority of the blood on the floor. They left the blood-stained mattress and splattered walls alone.

All I could see of the girl was her dark, shoulder-length curly hair matted with blood as the Shadow Man carried her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

He laid her passive form gently, almost tenderly, on the totally gross camp bed.

After he left, I crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb Seras and Robin, and peered at the new girl from behind the iron bars. She was wearing a white nightdress that was torn, bloodied, and muddy on the hem.

_Wow. She must've put up a real fight,_ I mused.

Her fingers trailed along the floor, and I could see her hand was shredded as well. _ I hope the freaks that did this to her have scars._

Her skin was dark, but not anywhere near the almost midnight black of Kimnara's. She was clearly from a land of sunlight.

_Unless she can find a way out, she'll never see the sun again._

* * *

Seras whimpered, and Amy was jerked out of her thoughts.

"Amy..."she started tentatively. "W-what are we gonna do now?"

Amy sighed.

"I don't know, Seras. I don't know."

Sakura came up to her and laid a consoling hand on Amy's shoulder.

"She'll come back, don't worry. Maria just needs to let off some steam, you know her," whispered Sakura.

Amy knew that, but it didn't make the situation any easier. Maria held a lot of much-warranted anger in her heart, and she tended to be bitter and pessimistic.

Some days, Maria's attitude irritated Amy more than usual, and today was one of those days.

_Ugh. I know she's had it rough, but so has everyone else here! Why the hell can't she get over herself?!_

Amy took a deep breath and counted to ten before turning her attention back to her remaining troupe.

"Alright, well...let's take an inventory. What supplies do we have, and what all happened while I was A.W.O.L?"

* * *

Well, it turned out that the six of them had only that one ratty blanket which they had found hung it a tree, their personal affects that they had salvaged, and the clothes on their backs. The meat they had been cooking before had come from a rabbit that Robin had caught.

As the story goes, the gals hadn't run into _too_ much trouble while Amy was off digging around in the Administrator's office and killing her uncle.

They had grabbed what few belongings they had had on them when they came there, and ran off. Sakura and Maria had stayed together, and Seras found the triplets before they left the building. Kimmie had apparently said she had something to do in the Men's Section, and had run off alone. Robin was nowhere to be seen during the chaos.

After that, Sakura and Maria were found by Robin who then led them to Seras and the girls. Kimmie was still off the grid.

From there, the wandered around the woods near the Facility, looking for Amy. During the night, though, they heard some commotion coming from the place and saw guards leaving it in troops. That set them on their way. Seras figured that Amy was long gone, so their best bet was to get away from the guards and see if they ran into Amy or Kimnara later.

Sakura had organized them enough to send out Seras and Robin as a combination of a search party, patrol, and hunter/foragers. It was after one of these such trips that Robin came back with a message from Kimnara.

Kimnara told her that though she wished she could stay, she absolutely had to return to Kenya. She had to bring someone there, and if anyone needed her in the upcoming months, they could find her in the rain-forests of Zaire.

This news was very disheartening, but Amy was relieved to hear that her friend was alive and well.

_I wonder, though...who is it that needs to be in Kenya and why is she planning on spending so much time in Zaire? _

Amy was a puzzled at this, because the Kimnara she knew traveled Africa constantly, rarely staying in one place for long. But Kimmie's constant moving wasn't the same as Amy's. The entire continent was Kimnara's home, while Amy had none.

It was mostly Seras who told the story, with the occasional sarcastic quip from Robin and silly side stories from the girls. Sakura remained silent for the most part, only telling the bare minimum of her and Maria's escape.

Also, it seemed that in all the chaos, some inmates from the Men's Section had overpowered the few remaining guards and also escaped. They women had been trying to avoid them, as well.

Back at the Facility, there had been two groups, each with smaller factions.

There was the Staff. Within that group, you had your 'doctors,' scientists, guards, and the Administrative officials, all with varying levels of hierarchy.

Then there was the Inmates. From there they were divided into Male and Female, and after that, individuals developed their own little groups and cliques. The men and women were kept separate, rarely interacting and even then, only 'in the name of science.'

While the women had cells they shared with a few others, sometimes they were allowed to interact en mass in the cafeteria-esque space. Not _that _often, but often enough that they all got a rough idea of who was in which cell, and who came from where, et cetera, et cetera.

It was these little excursions that Amy and Seras met the triplets and Sakura, and that Amy and Maria recognized each other.

About to fall back into an old memory of a much different world, a much different Maria, long before their capture, Amy was jerked back to the present when the current Maria swung down from a tree branch in front of Robin.

"Hey. I caught a rabbit," she announced as she held up her limply hanging prize.

"Whoo! Yummy!" yelled Lucy as she snatched the rabbit out of Maria's hand and ran off with her sisters.

Everyone laughed, watching the three girls playing with the dead bunny from across the now-dying campfire.

The air around them suddenly shifted. It felt electrified, and Amy felt dread creep into her heart and settle there, cold and heavy like lead.

She looked around at her remaining comrades and saw in their eyes that they felt it too. Something was coming. Something powerful. Something evil.

And Amy knew of only one thing it could be.

_Alucard._

Amy knew. And she knew it was all her fault.

Alucard had grown tired of waiting and had come to collect her. He was furious, and even from this distance she could feel his approaching anger like a roiling black storm cloud from Hell.

She looked at them. All of them. Robin. Sakura and Maria. Seras. The little girls, Wilhemina, Lucy and Elizabeth. They were all scared out of their minds. All looking to her.

While all but the triplets and Seras were used to some form of independence, Amy had naturally assumed a leadership role during their captivity. They all looked to her for guidance now.

How many times had she saved them? How many times had she taken their beatings, their place on the operating table? How many times had she distracted the guards or offered herself instead? Amy had done not only that, but had freed them. She had helped them, protected them, loved them.

Immortals such as these did not easily forget.

Once Alucard arrived, though...Amy knew in her heart that he would slaughter them. He would rip the breath from their lungs and the blood from their throats.

_All because I left him for them. Whether or not I meant to return...I guess I made my priorities clear to him._

What was she to do? These children (she included Seras in this, much to the vamp's indignation) could not stand against the likes of him! He would catch them, one by one, and should they try to run, he would make a game of their violent deaths.

_But...how could I ever betray him? _

Amy's mind and heart were conflicted. Though she did not exactly..._love_ him, he was...well, he was her mate. For better or for worse, whether she liked it or not.

The girls whimpered, breaking Amy out of her thoughts. Blood tears started slowly dripping from Seras' eyes.

Terror and adrenaline made Amy's heart race and limbs tingle, screaming for action. Amidst the chaos of her mind and heart, one thought crystallized.

_No._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, I tried really hard to make this chapter longer. I know it's all flashbacks...But they re interesting, right? Right? *desperate*

(I write all my Author's Notes prematurely, and yeah, this is becoming my longest chapter EVAR. Mind = BLOWN.)

Yeah, I'm adding A LOT of female characters. This is proving to be a very busy, difficult story. Eventually I _think _they'll go their own way, except for the triplets and maybe Seras. Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

More male characters will be added later so that Alucard doesn't drown in this estrogen sea.

Also, it seems Amy's half dead. Kinda like Bella, from Twilight. Except hotter with a cooler vampire for a boyfriend.

I'm thinking I can re-rate it as 'T,' seeing as it's pretty tame. I might have to go back later and put it down as 'M,' but so far, it seems like Amy's gonna make Alucard work for it. =)

I'm conflicted about Maria. And the little girls. As you can see, I hadn't come up with names for them for...awhile. I just couldn't decide!

I've got another idea for a character that somehow (randomly) reminds me of Maria, but is...Nevermind. Spoilers! =D I'll write a totally different FanFic for that, and YES, it will be HELLSING. More Catholic-centric, and I'm not sure if there will be any romantic elements. Probably not. Seeing how slow-going this one is, and how the complexities continue to build, maybe romance isn't my thing.

Either way, I need to branch out as an author.

Yes, I am beta-ing for my beloved Vampire From Hell. She's already written and sent me the drafts of chapters 2 AND 3 of her latest story, Alucard' Bets, but I haven't gotten to them because I'm busy and lazy all at once.

Please forgive me!

I've barely been able to write this, and writer's block is a bitch. I've been working on this chapter for over a week, and I'm sorry! I'm so slow!

*wiggles on back like flipped over turtle* Mwwaaahh!


	9. How Can I Put This?

Chapter 9

How Can I Put This?

Her course of action decided, Amy turned her attention once more to her now-trembling followers.

"You need to leave. Now."

At their terrified and confused looks, Amy lost all remaining senses of calm confidence and gave in to anxiety.

"I said GO! Run, NOW!" she screamed at them, finally waking them up.

Robin nodded and grabbed Seras' hand, and together they all sprinted off into the woods, leaving Amy to face _him_ alone.

Amy stood there with the campfire to her back, taking deep breaths as the feeling of impeding doom strengthened every second.

When her skin was crawling, every hair standing on end and every muscle tensed, the mounting tension paused.

_He's stopped moving...wha-_

Amy whirled as a chill wind blew out the campfire behind her. A strange misty darkness surrounded her, closing her in. The already small open space got smaller until she could see maybe five feet in any direction. After that, it was all white mist and the hazy forms of trees.

Somehow, lost in the blinding fog with all her senses dulled, Amy's fear dissipated. A strange calm settled over her and she felt as if separated from herself, from her body.

_I can't feel him...He's here. I know it. There is nothing I can do now but accept what is to come._

Somehow, lost in the blinding fog with all her senses dulled, Amy's fear dissipated. A strange calm settled over her and she felt as if separated from herself, from her body.

She shivered as chills ran up her spine, and Amy felt his cool breath on the back of her neck. Felt him lean in close and grasp her shoulders in his trademark bruising grip. Felt him pull her into him. Felt him nuzzle away the neckline of her shirt with his nose, breathing her in. Felt him wrap his arms around her torso, crushing her to him.

Amy felt strangely cool, yet warm inside. She still felt that eerie calm, removed as if in a dream, and yet a foreign tension was slowly building with every touch.

_This feels almost...romantic. Possessive, but...somehow sweet._

The moment was ruined when her spun her around and, grasping her upper arms, lifted her off the ground. He pulled her up to his face, leveling their eyes. Red met green, his swirling depths of possession, fury, and...betrayal? To him, her's were unreadable, a language far removed from any he knew.

"You left me," he accused. "Deliberately disobeyed me. Why?!"

He shook her, infuriated further by her silence.

"Who were those people...you think I could not sense them? Could not smell them?" he sneered. He roughly tossed her to the ground in disgust.

He glared at her, seeming to be trying to choose his next words more carefully.

"Amelia," he began, much more calmly, and gently lifted her to her feet. "Why did you run?"

She was still silent, gazing at him with an unfathomable expression. His miraculous patience was quickly wearing thin, and Amy picked up on it.

_Girls who tease tigers get eaten, not even._

Her refusal to speak bothered him immensely, and Amy figured his attempts at patience was worthy of a reward.

"Alucard," she murmured, looking away. "They need me too."

He sighed.

_God this woman is difficult. Worse than Police Girl ever was. I couldn't ever get her to shut up, but at least she responded._

His frustration at the situation quickly dissolved his temporary calm.

"Who are they? Why are they here? And what the hell do they think they're doing, mucking about on my Master's property? On my territory?!"

"Who are they? Why are they here? And what the hell do they think they're doing, mucking about on my Master's property? On my territory?!"

"Alucard," her eyes flashed dangerously. "You may be my fated..._mate_, but we have no great bond. We have shared neither bed nor secret." Her words were harsh, and her tone like ice. "They are my truth. It is impossible for me to reveal their secrets to any other, _especially_ to one such a _you_."

Her passionate little speech both surprised and impressed the vampire.

_I never knew she had it in her...I wonder what else the little minx might be trying to hide..._

"Well," he drawled, leering at her now. "That can be..._arranged_," he purred, thick with implication.

Amy stared at him, eyes wide and terrified.

_Holy shit, the sonofabitch is serious! What do I do what do I do?_

Alucard threw back his head and laughed at her horrified expression. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close once more.

"Not tonight, my little songbird. Tonight you are safe," he consoled, patting her hair.

Suddenly, he then snatched her up and took to the air, heading back towards the mansion.

The wind whipped her hair back and crept under her clothes, chilling her. She burrowed deeper into his arms, clutching the back of his trench coat in a white-knuckled grip.

He chuckled, looking down at the blonde head of his unexpected, soon-to-be bride.

_Curious how fear makes one seek comfort in the seemingly lesser threat. I'll have to make note of this...And I thought Seras was difficult...huh. _

* * *

Back at the mansion, Alucard hefted her up, despite her stuttering protests, and strode down towards the basement. As they descended the last flight of stairs, she looked up at him intently, unsure if he would keep him.

Alucard did not look at her when he walked into the cool room and she tensed, nor did he so much as glance at her when he laid her gently into her bed. He pulled the covers up around her, and finally met her eyes.

With a strange look that Amy didn't understand, he turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

Amy felt like there was some expectation that hadn't been met, as though she had been waiting for something she knew wouldn't happen. She felt...bereft.

She was awake for another hour at least, her whirling mind unwilling to relax. She had many questions buzzing around in her brain, but two bothered her the most before her exhausted body finally succumbed.

What's happening to me? I don't need him...do I?

* * *

**Author's Note: ** I have some vital info, and acknowledgements, to explain.

I have received much support from _Vampire From Hell_ and _senlie-felines_, both of whom have lovely Hellsing FanFiction that I have read and greatly enjoyed.

As _senlie-felines_ pointed out, yeah, Zaire isn't a country anymore. =( I knew that, I paid attention in Geography. =P BUT, Amy is old school. I can quote her as naming Africa as the 'Dark Continent,' which is outrageously old-school. She also hasn't exactly _been_ to Africa in awhile...and even then, I'm not sure she's ever been near it's heart. She's a Europe kinda girl, though she has traveled _at least_ to America.

As I've said before, she can be very tight-lipped about some things.

Also, Maria can be a bitch. No, you might not like her all that much for awhile as she can be SO mean. Although, her Catholicism _might_ come in handy in the near-to-distant future. I'm still not sure _what_ exactly Maria is, but I think she _may_ have been eaten by lions at some point.

I've been indecisive about how I want to describe the confrontation between Amy and Alucard...It'll come to me. (Yeah, I wrote most of this before I even started writing this chapter.)

Robin: Jumping the gun, much?

Me: You hush. -.- This is about Amy and Alucard, not you.

Robin: But I'm amazing! Don't I deserve a little love? *pouts*

Me: *glare* No.

Well, anyhoo. Back to the vital info.

Robin's past WILL come back to haunt her. Time travel _might_ have to get involved, but hopefully not. I said I'd involve Nazis, didn't I? =D

Yeah, I know I haven't said much about Amy's murdered uncle, and we'll get to the story of his traitorous past and eventual demise. I'm pretty sure he wasn't _the _Administrator, but they were definitely in cahoots. The 'Shadow Man' is NOT the Administrator, sorry.

He's kinda a free-lance monster hunter _employed _by the Administrator. Or blackmailed. I'm not sure if he _deserves_ to have a sad, sympathetic back story or if he's just a monster, through and through.

Amy hasn't told me if she hails from a particular country or not, but I'd really have to check out some maps of the ancient world and they're time periods, etc. Besides, I'm pretty sure they didn't exactly have _countries_ back then, anyway. I'm still not sure when _then _is, but I'm getting there. I'm workin' on it.

I've been trying to keep my author's notes shorter, but I have too much to say! Waah! T.T

Oh well, some people like my author's notes! *way too defensive*

The triplets (who for so long were un-named, and I'm still not happy with their names) are an interesting combination of abilities stemming from ancient Pagan mythology, not Christian.

Amy's older than Jesus, so she's on better terms with the girls. Partly because she truly understands what they are, whereas Seras (the youngest of them all besides the girls) has no flippin' clue, even though she loves them to death. Well, un-death.

Also...while I tend to have an idea of what everyone is, where they came from, where they're going...sometimes it gets jumbled and I get confused, and they change their minds...once I figure "Hey, this might be cool for Amy," Robin's all like: 'No way, bitch! That's totally me!" Then they all get into cat fights about who gets what, and "Why is she so much like me? I wanna be unique, waahhh!"

So this is what it is like to have kids. Ugh. I will be thanking my mother for not throwing my sister and I in a dumpster even when we deserved it.

Next chapter might NOT be from Amy's point of view. Maybe Alucard's. Maybe one of the girls'. I'm not sure. I'll figure it out. =)

Wow. That IS a long Author's Note, like 652 words. Damn. I better shut up.


	10. Reconnaissance

Chapter 10

Reconnaissance

The girls had not run far. Far enough, though. It was Robin who stayed, sneaking in the shadows, watching the exchange between Amy and the vampire.

_What the...fuck? What's with this 'mate' shit? Is Amy actually falling for that bull? _

Robin watched, floored, as Amy let that vampire touch her. She had to stifle a low growl building in her chest or risk losing her position. Robin stayed there long after he had flown off, Amy in his grasp.

_What happens now? Did she pick him over us? Or is he controlling her somehow?_

Eyes wide with fear, confusion, and betrayal, Robin hopped down from her tree branch and headed back to where the others had holed up.

* * *

"She _WHAT_?!"

Seras and Maria were freaking out. Seras hadn't gotten around to being anything other than incredulous, but Maria had. She was absolutely furious.

"What is she thinking?! ALL vampires are horrible, dangerous things." Seras glared at her, but Maria ignored her and kept going. "But ELDER vamps are the worst! They're all incorrigible monsters of the darkest kind! One that gives off an aura like that definitely can't be trusted! He must have some ulterior motive..." she said, musing now. "Wonder what he wants from her...it can't be _just_ sex, although that's clearly a factor...It's not like Amy has that much to offer..."

"Well, in any case, shit's goin' down. Are we just gonna stand here or are we gonna go rescue Amy?!" demanded Robin, hands on her hips.

* * *

After another intense argument, they decided that everyone should go. Nobody wanted to be left out, and even though the little ones might get in the way, nobody was comfortable leaving them on their own. They tried to get organized and decide on a plan, but everybody had conflicting ideas. Everyone thought that their plan was the best, and that they should lead the group. The fighting got them nothing except exhausted.

"This is why we need Amy," sighed Seras forlornly. "She always knows what to do."

"Yes, but she also has a subtle charisma. We all see her as the leader, our superior," said Sakura, quietly. "She's the oldest, fastest, smartest, and wisest of all of us. It is indisputable."

At this Maria snorted, but a bit more subdued.

Eventually, at Robin's urgings, they all agreed that a recon mission was the best plan. They really weren't in the position to be taking anything from the clutches of an Elder vampire.

_He's just too powerful, and we're just too depleted. For now._

* * *

When they crossed the tree line onto the lawn, Seras stopped. Mouth agape, the girl just stood there staring at the mansion.

Maria gave her a look, and she quickly shut her mouth and caught up. Sakura glanced at her, concerned, but Seras just shook her head silently and motioned for her to keep going.

Together the girls slunk around the grounds, peering into un-curtained windows and around corners. When nothing was found on the ground floor, Robin took initiative and scaled the walls to reach the upper levels.

The triplets stared up at Robin in awe, watching her spider-like movements avidly.

Robin disappeared around a corner, and when she didn't reappear quickly, the troupe became nervous.

"Wa-where's Robin? Is she...okay? Should we go after her?" asked Seras tentatively. She was always prone to panic prematurely, but the others were beginning to share her sentiment.

They all jumped, except Sakura, when the front door opened and Robin walked out, grinning.

"Thought we'd take this party inside," she said smugly.

* * *

Surprise Alucard POV

His dark head lifted and crimson burned in the darkness.

_Who dares...?_

The vampire idly swirled the liquored blood in his wine glass, waiting.

_Those fools won't succeed, and I shall savor this victory. _

Alucard listened as the small one snuffled about the upstairs and let the others in through the front door. He could hear their voices, though muted, and grinned.

Foolish creatures. Amelia belongs to me, and never again will she be any other's.

His eyes slid over to the heavy oak door concealed in shadow. His glare seemed to burn through the door and into the girl's dreams. She stirred and whimpered.

She turned over and clutched at her blankets, still quietly keening like a pained kitten, and something inside him twisted. He deliberately averted his eyes, and as he did so, heard her sigh softly and calm.

It was then that he turned his attention to the voices floating down to him from above. He chuckled darkly at some of their rather accurate observations.

_"Jesus, did anybody here have a soul? Everything's fucking beige!"_

_"Chill. We're looking for Amy, not signs of life."_

He then perked up at the sound of a vaguely familiar, though unexpected, voice.

_"Uhhh...isn't Amy kinda alive?"_

_"HAH! As if. That old broad died ages ago, heart, body, and soul. More than once."_

_Hmmm...dead, you say? More than once? Sounds familiar. It seems we have more in common than I once thought, little Songbird._

_"...downstairs. Should we risk it? She's definitely down there, with him."_

_"I don't like this. Just waltzing into the belly of the beast? Not in this lifetime!"_

_"Dammit, Maria, we don't have another 80 years for you to grow a pair! Amy's life is at stake, don't you care?!"_

_"Well, sor-ry for not being excited about a SUICIDE MISSION!"_

_"Shit, can you two be any louder? They can hear you in WISCONSIN!"_ hissed the girl with the curiously familiar voice.

Something tugged at his memory, but he pushed it aside for later examination. He had other, more pressing matters to attend to.

_"Robin, I'm scared."_

_A child? They brought a child here? _

His hand clenched making bloodwine and glass fell to the floor in a cacophony of sound. Heavy drops plopping and shards tinkling.

He froze, and the girls upstairs stilled as well. He could hear their heartbeats, but that and the number of individuals breathing were not the same. He counted first by heartbeats.

_Three children, two adults. All female._

Tendrils of shadow crept through the house, seeping into the walls like oil sludge. A single red eye snapped open, peering at the rag-tag group milling about at the top of the basement stairs.

He was right, the number of heartbeats was inaccurate. There were seven total, not five.

They know that even their combined strength cannot defeat me...so what did they think to accomplish?

He stared at them, trying to gauge their abilities, their motives. Their weaknesses.

One was clearly Oriental, despite her silver hair. She seemed a soft-spoken type, and would disappear just before a fight broke out.

Another was a slight girl with dark black hair. She smelled like moss and wolf.

_The one who broke into the upstairs._

Third was a more robust woman with busy dark-brown curls. She reeked of resentment, bitterness, and silver.

_Obviously a Catholic._

The remaining woman was hidden from view by the other three. He occasionally got a flash of strawberry blonde hair, but other than that, she was a mystery. It was her and the Asian woman that had no heartbeat.

Alucard then turned his attention to the _three_ little girls huddled together on the outskirts of the group, forgotten. Each child had a different color hair. Pale platinum blonde, fiery red, and soft light brown. They all looked to be equal in age, height, and heritage, but he got a slightly different reading from each of them.

_Another mystery...but enough for now. Now begins the waiting game._

Alucard and his shadows slunk back to the basement, unwilling to leave Amy unattended for long. In his haste to return to his Bride, he didn't see the strawberry blonde shiver, turn and whisper...

_"Master?"_

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, there it is. Chapter 10. Left off with a cliffhanger. Heh heh. =D

Yes, Maria is a bit of a bitch. Yes, Robin is freaking adorable. Neither has to try. =)

WARNING: The names of the triplets may change at any time. Just a heads up.

Ugh...Alucard's thoughts are so freaking difficult. He's so out of character, RAWR! *flips table*

He'll be better when he's killing someone or teasing Amy.

I've been busy with school, work, family and friends, yadda yadda yadda...But we've got a short Spring Break this weekend until Wednesday. Tomorrow is my last day until break, so please hold on just a little longer!

To all the people waiting for me to finish editing their work...I will get to it. The reason I've been updating my chapters so often is because I wander around with a notebook. =)

The characters will develop better as the story progresses and the bad guys come back...and also, my mechanical errors (such as repeated paragraphs) will be improved.

Now...does anyone know any good sugar-free desert recipes? My dad's diabetic, and his birthday is coming up in a couple months. =P

Also...The next chapter will, of course, contain a little bit of back story! I want YOU, my faithful readers, to tell me (via review or PM) which character you want more information on!

Disclaimer: It won't be Alucard. He's difficult. Anyone else! Please! =D


	11. His Kingdom Burns

Chapter 11

Long Time, No See

Amy was sitting up in her bed when he returned. She gazed at the vampire with wide, unfathomable eyes. Her eyes shot to his and they stared at each other in silence, each trying to read the other to no avail.

She was the first to break the silence with a breathy query.

"Do my friends still live?

"For now," he drawled.

She turned away from him then, and gazed into the middle distance above her dresser. She sighed and, still staring blankly, asked: "Why must you torment me so? Would it not be simpler, more expedient, to kill me? Don't try to tell me you don't enjoy bathing in blood, or that you haven't fantasized about mine. Why wait? Why restrain yourself?"

This time when she turned to face him, her eyes were blazing.

"What game do you think you're playing? Did you have some master scheme in mind for me? Is this just a convoluted cat-and-mouse madness? Do you really think," she hissed. "That I'll play along? That I'll let you hunt my friends and devour them? That I'd never fight back, that I'd never resist? Please," the eyes peering over her upturned nose were disdainful and disgusted. "As if I wouldn't _win_."

Her passionate little exclamation left Amy winded and Alucard bemused.

_She'll make quite the Queen...if that talented little mouth doesn't get her killed first._

His sudden ecstatic laughter made her skin crawl and her heart pound for reasons she dared not examine too closely at the moment. His pale face was alight with childlike glee, and his loud guffaws echoed strangely in the bare room.

He paused and was abruptly serious, further disturbing Amy's fragile peace of mind. He cocked his head to the side, ear up towards the ceiling, listening. Amy froze too, a strange wariness washing over her senses. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when he slowly raised a cool finger and pressed it to her lips, effectively silencing her.

He then turned his smoldering crimson eyes on her and said softly, "They know we're here."

Amy felt blood drain from her face as she caught on to what he was telling her.

_Oh God...they found me. How could they have me so soon? What about the others, is everyone upstairs still okay? Oh, sweet Jesus, what if they found the girls?! What if..._

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her as Amy came to the realization that they had found all of them. She looked up to meet his anticipating gaze with her panicked one.

_What if they get him, too? _Her heart was pounding in her chest, threatening to break as she forced herself to think the words._ What if they kill him? Worse, what if they...run tests? They'll make him their slave, drive him mad, oh, God...Alucard..._

His expression grew thoroughly bemused as he read the pure terror and panic written on her face.

_Heh. Women. I thought they were supposed to be less silly in this day and age. Oh well, some things just don't change, I suppose._

He leaned down and grasped her chin in his hand and ran a finger over her cheek, wiping away tears she didn't know were there. His gloved hand slid up to cup her face, and from there tangled in her soft hair.

He bent her head to his chest, and, pulling her close to his chest, wrapped his other arm around her.

_"Amelia, I will be fine. You know they are nothing compared to me. You know I will always protect you."_

His soft words eased the pain in her chest, and after a moment of hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him in return.

Their mutual comfort did not last long, and Amy jumped at a loud crash upstairs, and the tinkling of broken glass. The _pop-pop-pop_ of gunfire roused her, and suddenly, she was anything but calm. Anything but scared.

She was furious.

_Not this time, you fuckers._

* * *

Alucard gazed down at his female, reading not only her mind, but also her face.

_She'd better learn to watch her tongue...but she sure is feisty. I like that in a woman. So long as she doesn't try to cross swords with _me, he mentally amended.

Her eyes were bright, her breath coming faster. Alucard felt his own excitement rise with her's as he watched her unconciously hiss and clench her hands into fists. His face stretched into a maniacal, fang-bearing grin at the thought of slaughtering those that hunted what was his, with his lovely Bride beside him.

"Well, shall ascend?" he bowed low and held the door open for her.

When she looked at him with mild surprise, he raised his head to peer at her from under his long curtain of pitch-black hair.

"Ladies first," he explained with a sarcastic smile.

She then surprised him when she reached out and tenderly brushed his hair back with a grateful smile of her own.

"Thank you," she whispered as she pressed her lips softly against his brow. She then whirled, and streaked up the stairs. She lost herself in the hunt, in the drive for vengeance, and her mind was unrecognizable to Alucard by the time she had reached the third landing.

He straightened, and stood there in the doorway for a moment, considering. He was still for a few more seconds, before he melted into shadows to follow her.

* * *

His ribcage crunched wetly and blood sprayed as she slammed her fist into the man's chest cavity. She whipped him around over her shoulder and into the door jam behind her, grasping his still-beating heart in her now-clawed grip. He slumped to the floor in a gruesome heap.

She growled and whirled as more approached. A crazed grin split her blood-soaked face and she slid into an easy crouch. She began to laugh as five of them surrounded her and raised their weapons.

Her twisted glee was cut short as three men suddenly lurched backward. A single bullet, perfectly aligned, silenced three targets in one decisive shot. Her now enraged face was splattered with brain matter and growling furiously at the intruder.

A much smaller bullet shredded into her left shoulder, leaving a burning hole in it's path. She turned her attention to the terrified soldier who had fired the shot. Before she knew what happened, her body was suddenly torn apart by a barrage of bullets from the screaming man while the other remaining soldier ran for his life.

Through the fire storm, she heard the intruder dispatch the cowardly one down the hall. This time when she smiled, it was an odd sight. Such a soft, sweet expression on a gore-coated visage would never be expected by any sane person.

The last thing she saw before becoming a lump of bloody clothes and meat smeared across the walls and floor was a red-clad demon tearing into the throat of an escaping soldier.

* * *

An explosive round from the Jackal aimed at the back of the last man's skull quickly ended the conflict. All was silent except for the crunching and squeaking his heavy boots made as he walked across the bodies of fallen soldiers. He held his weapons loosely at his sides as he approached. He gazed expressionlessly down at the mutilated mass that was his beautiful soon-to-be mate. Though his face betrayed nothing, his very arua smoked with the turmoil inside. As was his long-held custom, he exchanged the pain for barely-leashed fury.

He then turned his attention to the ladies huddled in the broom closet. He marched over and ripped open the door without ceremony, eliciting screams from the girls on the floor, and a wondering gasp from the blonde hanging from the ceiling.

"Master!" she squealed, and had hopped down from her perch and was inches from hugging him when she caught herself and blushed.

The man was surprised, to say the least.

The sudden appearance of his long-absent fledgling snapped him out of his reverie.

"Where's Amy?" she asked. When she got no answer, she sighed in exasperation, ducked under his arm and bounded into the main hall. She continued to dance about, care-free, calling for Amy, amongst the carnage, until she noticed a mop of matted blonde hair. It laid atop an unrecognizable mass of red mush and the occasional white bone shard near the stairwell to the basement. While the others that emerged after her gagged and covered their eyes, Seras let out a strangled cry and collapsed in front of what she knew to be her closest friend. The others looked at her, concerned and confused, until they recognized what little was left.

"Oh, God!" Maria recoiled from the sight, revolted and horrified. Disbelieving.

Sakura knelt and started praying quietly.

Robin reached out as if to touch her, a shell-shocked expression on her face. She began a strange keening wail and fell to her knees.

The three littlest girls remained huddled in the closet. They were scared to see what the already knew. It was Amy. She was dead.

Their grieving continued on throughout the night, and all the while Alucard continued to stand there dispassionately in front of the closet door.

He watched as they screamed, cried, held each other, blamed each other, and further mutilated the remains of the soldiers. He watched as a new storm brewed in their eyes, as a new grim determination and enraged bitterness took over their hearts.

He watched as they became monsters like himself. And he smiled, a cold calculating smile. The loneliness and pain of losing what he never got to have tore what heart he had asunder, and the sun rose a brilliant red.

_What splendid ladies. Now they're mine. Alone no longer._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long in coming! I've been so distracted...school work is piling up with finals approaching, and I'm finally getting more hours in at work! Yaaay!

Also, I have no idea why it ended like that. Amy just took the reins and said "Fuck this shit!" Please don't hurt me, I'm just an author! *cowers*

Well, what's done is done.

I think you'll all be glad to note that I'm already working on Chapter 12. Chill.


	12. Dead

Chapter 12:

Part One

Dead

Alucard had not left his basement for weeks. He sat there in his throne, never moving, barely blinking. Atop his low coffee table laid a sleek black coffin. It was graced with delicate gold filigree and edging, silver vines intertwining and swirling across it's surface. For days, he ignored his thirst and simply gazed at the box containing the mutilated remains of his lovely bride.

She had been in there for far too long, had yet to awaken as the others had advised him she would. The only thing he noticed was that while he still smelled her blood soaking through the silk lining, he smelled no decay. She was not moldering away as most bodies did, but rather, it was as if she was still bleeding. The thought tormented him.

_Is she still alive? Is she still wounded, bleeding, not healing? Can she feel it?_

So lost in his thoughts that he did not hear the basement door creak open. He ignored the soft padding of bare feet.

He bared his fangs and snarled, about to pounce, before he recognized the bare feet that had hopped up on his Bride's resting place.

_Robin._

There she sat, cross-legged, directly on the cover of his Aria's coffin.

_What is that little troublemaker up to now? If only Amelia hadn't made me promise not to shred this one._ He rumbled softly in his chest at his thoughts.

"What do you want? Must you bedevil me, child?"

She sighed, exasperated already.

"You know nothing about Amy. You keep waiting here for her, but I'm telling you, it's in vain."

Irritated, Alucard stood. "You lot are the ones who told me to put her in there!" He gestured to the box Robin had seated herself on. "You SAID she'd come back! That she ALWAYS COMES BACK!" he was roaring now, though Robin appeared unfazed.

"Go on, sit down," she said. When he looked at her blankly, she explained. "I'm going to tell you how Amy and I met, and what I know about her."

Grumbling all the while, Alucard returned to his seat. When he was settled, Robin began her tale.

* * *

"It was December of 1943 in my home country, Germany. My older brother and I had been proud, glorious, brainwashed members of Hitler Youth since the day it had been founded.

"My brother, Luka, was much older than I and very successful as a Nazi. Too successful. He rose through the ranks with lightning speed, and was soon recommended to join an elite test group. The ultimate secret weapon that even the American and British Devils couldn't match.

"He was so very eager, so totally excited. He begged and pleaded and eventually he convinced his recruiter to include me, as well. Though I was enthusiastic, too, it was only a desire to please Luka, who I hero-worshipped. I was awkward and shy and an overall terrible Nazi, but Luka was so proud of me...so proud...

"So, off we went. We were instructed to leave everything behind save for a change of clothes. On the train ride through the countryside, Luka entrusted me with our father's dog tags from the Great War. Those tags were his most prized possession, and when he presented them to me, I didn't notice the tears running down my face until he reached out to wipe them away.

"When we arrived at a nondescript brick building hours later, we were guided to an office by a similarly nondescript assistant person. A short, stout man welcomed us warmly from behind a desk, introducing himself as 'the Major.' He was only a Major in the SS, so I was skeptical of his being in charge of such an 'elite' force, but Luka hung on his every word. He told us that his brilliant and innovative doctor had invented a new process of creating a kind of 'super soldier' that would 'turn the tide of the war.' The procedure was in it's final stages of testing, and my brother had been chosen as the perfect candidate.

"Since they believed that I may not be able to handle the rigors of the surgery, a new variation was written up which was completely untested. I was to be - hopefully - altered genetically slightly differently from Luka, but still with similar results.

"Luka and I were to gain immeasurable strength, speed, agility, and intelligence. The procedures were designed to make us a kind of super human, and completely subservient to the Major's - not our Fuhrer's - orders, though they didn't tell us that at the time. They just said that we would be the Reich's saving grace. The Fuhrer's pride and joy.

"We were left in the care of a tall, lanky man the Major called simply 'Doc.' He eyed us curiously from behind his eight-lensed spectacles. He seemed overjoyed with my brother, and, after poking and prodding me with some instruments, barely spared me a glance.

"Since they believed that I may not be able to handle the rigors of the surgery, a entirely new procedure was to performed on me. They had recently come into possession of a valuable new...'addition' that they would use. I was to be a kind of prototype, while Luka was assured his safety and predictable results. They had ideas, but did not share them with me.

"Doc had one of the faceless assistants lead Luka and I down to a basement laboratory. The dank room was lit by swinging yellowed lights and criss-crossed by thick cords. The walls were lined with counters bearing strange mechanical-looking things and malicious, glinting silver tools. They seemed to cry for blood, and, suddenly, this whole endeavor didn't seem like such a grand idea any more.

"There were three steel tables, like those of a morgue, with suspicious stains on their surfaces that had only been partially wiped. They had straps and manacles, restraints of all sorts, hanging from the sides. They were obviously meant for Luka and I - why they had wanted to do both surgeries at the same time I didn't understand - except for the third. The third, which was in the darkest part of the room, already contained a body. All I could discern was a twisted arm and a mass of tangled blonde hair. Everything else was obscured by blood. So much blood.

"I'll spare you the gory details.

"The procedure itself was excruciatingly painful. They used every one of those wicked-looking tools on every inch of my body. I held Luka's hand for as long as I could while they worked on us. It took hours. I distinctly recall the moment I felt my beloved brother's hand go limp in mine after violently thrashing and straining for so very long. Event through the red haze of pain -they underestimated the amount of morphine I should be given- I felt his loss. I screamed for him, but it mingled in with all the others.

"The body beside me wailed softly, almost like a song, when Luka's heart stopped. I hadn't realized that she was still alive, somehow.

"After I awoke, days later, I could feel the changes. I had always been light-weight, but now my thin bones were encased in sleek muscle. I felt balanced, strong and alive. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that my beautiful blonde hair was gone, and in it's place were silky black locks. My eyes were still green, but they were different as well. They were bright, almost luminous.

"The Major was pleased, overjoyed, actually, that it had all gone so well. He was saddened to lose my Luka, but now he had another way to create obedient monsters.

"Doc was disappointed about my looks, as they had achieved the exact opposite of what Dr. Megele strived for over at Auschwitz, but the other results were better than even he had calculated. Apparently, they had used things taken from that other girl next to me and put them in me somehow. I didn't understand the process, and still don't, but was disturbed at the thought of someone else's body parts inside me.

"They eventually left me to my own devices. I was to train, and learn the limits of my abilities while the assistants took detailed notes. It was a strange routine I followed for a few weeks, eating, sleeping, and training every day. It wasn't until I was there about a month, soon to be transferred to the Eastern Front to fight the Commies, that she found me.

"Around three in the morning, I heard a knock on my door. I never slept, so I heard the soft sound. When I opened the door, there stood a blonde waif wearing bloodstained rags for clothes. She didn't have to say anything. I knew who she was, and why she was here. She wanted to escape, and needed my help.

"Shocked at finally seeing this woman in the flesh, all I could say was: 'Does this make you my mother now? Are we like sisters or something?'

"She laughed. A faint, breathy, hoarse laugh that told volumes. She had been here, in this place, for much longer than I and treated with far less adoration. Right then, I knew I had to protect her, follow her. We shared blood now and she was the only being alive that I could call family. My parents and brother were gone: she was all I had left in the world. Being a Nazi meant nothing to me anymore, not without Luka to please.

"And so we ran. She told me her name, her first name, and I told her mine. We slept in abandoned bunkers, sewers, and the occasional field until we made it to the English Channel. While she longed for her homeland, England was the only country in Europe that was semi-stable that we could both stand to be in.

"I don't know how she managed it, but she bought us a small country home in Wales. The rolling green hills reminded me of my home, and the forests reminded her of her's. At first, she was indeed like a mother to me, and taught me many things, even helped me master my emerging abilities. After so many years being together we grew to be more like sisters, she the older of course, but still more like equals.

"We lived in that house for nigh twelve years, until the neighbors began to notice that we did not age. I went off and explored the Russian countryside for maybe six years afterwards while she traveled to America, and we met again at the old house, both with stories to tell. From there, we traveled often. We bought houses, you see, and invented false identities as we went. I still don't know where she got the money, but she did, and we always lived well.

"Amy is an enigma. She simply cannot die. It is simply not in her nature. It's different from you, who refused death and railed against it until it cursed you. Amy was born special, and through all that she's done and had done to her, it was amplified. Her people basically only carry a few unique traits: the art of music, longevity, and the ability to communicate mentally. That is all that she was born into. She tends to get kidnapped often, and is usually abused and tested on. So called 'doctors' and 'scientists' like to try to alter and recreate her chemistry.

"So now, she just comes back. She doesn't even know how she does it, I think. This time, though, she seems to be taking her time. Maybe she'll be more different than ever. Usually she comes back more powerful, and sometimes with some strange new talent.

"From what I've observed, it seems that every time she is resurrected she becomes more and more...compatible with you. She's older than you, but she doesn't use her strength the way you do. Maybe now she'll be much less forgiving of traitors."

Robin paused. It was as if an old weight was lifted off her chest, one she didn't know was there. She knew Amy wouldn't mind that she had told the vampire this, as she hadn't revealed anything particularly personal about Amy or the others.

Alucard pondered this new information about his Bride. It seemed that she was much more complex than even he could imagine.

I wonder what else she's hiding...

He turned his attention once more to the box that Robin had just vacated. He ran his hand over the cool surface, and felt the life inside.

She's still alive in there, and more so now than ever. I wonder what it is about that little shadow child that awakens her...

"I believe it is time for you to ascend, Robin. Please, leave me with her." His polite tone surprised her, but she still gave him a look. "Just one more night," he amended to appease her.

She nodded, and padded back up the stairs.

He knelt, hand still on the cover, and sighed.

"Amelia, when will you return to me? What holds you behind? Never have I needed another so strongly before, and I am very uncomfortable. You need to come back, and relieve me," he ordered matter-of-factly, trying to hold on to a shred of his image of demanding arrogance.

"Please," he added, his desperation breaking through his careful uncaring mask.  
He stayed there, holding her coffin to him throughout the night. When dawn came, he retired to his own coffin for the first time in weeks. He slept peacefully for the first time since his Master's death.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey y'all. This chapter is in two parts, and the second part is super super short. Since I have a very important Author's Note at the end of it, that keeps my work count in check. =)

The Author's Note is on a personal note, so those of you who aren't interested in me, the author, as a person, don't bother reading it. =) It just mostly explains why I may not update for long, indefinite periods of time.

Also, my puppy Max says Hi. I deleted what his paws said, but he loves you all as I do!

Amy is...being troublesome. So blame her for this.

Also, senile-felines and Vampire From Hell, I added some serious Robin! Just for you two. =D

I hope you all like this.

I wonder...Didn't I tell any of you guys that Robin was a Nazi?


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